Data collection methods
Overview
The information gathered for the Roadmap came from diverse sources over the course of the two-year project (2023-2025):
- Asset Mapping- We performed a state and county asset mapping effort identified existing data, reports, and other documents that pertain to climate resilience in Lake County. The results are available for anyone to use in the CHARM Lake County Data & Resources Inventory.
- Working Group- We coordinated the recruitment and ongoing facilitation of the project’s Working Group to guide the project and provide input to activities and materials. This group includes representatives from Tribes, state, county, and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community advocates.
- Surveys- We conducted a survey of experiences, knowledge, beliefs, and needs during climate-driven events for 231 residents of Lake County.
- Interviews- We held 64 in-depth interviews with Lake County residents in specific vulnerable populations, including outdoor workers, those living in mobile homes, unhoused individuals, persons recovering or coping with substance use disorders, persons over 65, those with physical disabilities, those with mental health or neurodevelopmental disabilities (via caregivers), those with limited transportation options, and Tribal community members.
The findings from the surveys and interviews are incorporated throughout this Roadmap, but comprehensive results are not provided here. If you would like to know specific results that are not presented in the Roadmap, please contact us.
Surveys
We conducted the survey over four months in 2024, recruiting Lake County residents through social media, local newsletters and news media, QR codes on flyers distributed at sites, and events likely to attract or be frequented by those considered a vulnerable populations. The survey was lengthy, with a median completion time of 25 minutes (average of 59 minutes); survey participants were able to leave the survey open on their devices for an indeterminate amount of time even if not actively entering responses. Survey participants were entered into a drawing for $100 Visa gift cards, held every two weeks with the prior two weeks respondents eligible. We screened the responses for location, and machine learning weighting of likelihood of random responses, and eliminated 158 of the 369 total responses due to a strong likelihood of non-resident status. The survey questions are available upon request.
Interviews
Interviews were set up via trusted messengers (e.g., peer support center directors, Tribal staff, family/friends of those living in mobile homes) for the targeted vulnerable populations. These messengers outreached in their community and also advised the CHARM Lake County team on other methods for reaching desired interviewees. Most interviews were conducted in-person by these trusted messengers and/or the Tracking California and Big Valley Band of Pomo Indian teams. A subset of the interviews was conducted via teleconferencing or phone. The interview format was structured, with some common questions among all target populations, and others specific to the group. Interviewees were encouraged to provide open-ended responses, including stories and experiences. Therefore, not all questions were answered by all interviewees.
Interviews were coded using MaxQDA qualitative analysis software, with four Tracking California team members working to review each transcript. After each transcript was coded once, a second team member reviewed for consistency. Coding categories were as follows:
Identified needs in a climate driven event (CDE)
- Unmet needs in a CDE
- Met needs in a CDE
Solutions and resources
- Solutions for unmet needs
- Social and community solutions
- Policy changes or actionable steps
- Coping strategies for unmet needs
Trust and communication
- Trust in agencies/official organizations
- Trust in informal networks or personal connections
- Communication gaps and information needs
Direct impacts of past CDEs (narratives)
- Physical impacts
- Described experiences (not explicitly mental/physical)
- Mental impacts
- Long-term impacts
Environmental concerns and planning
- Immediate environmental concerns
- Long-term planning for future CDEs
- Beliefs about environmental risks